Gavin couldn't help glancing at Nines as they walked up the street. Besides the six eyes, he looked perfectly normal. That didn't change the fact that he knew he had a mouth full of vampire teeth, a creepy unhinging snake jaw, and a tongue that was at least a foot long. At least. It could have been longer. It probably was longer. That thing wasn't even normal! He hadn't gotten a good look at it last time, what with the whole face biting thing, but it had felt rough, like a cat's tongue, and there had been these weird little tendrils all over it, each able to explore and tease on its own. Gavin shivered as he recalled the way they'd stroked and teased his stubble and explored his sensitive throat. Nines' top set of eyes looked at him questioningly, making him look away quickly. He hadn't been able to keep eye contact since the incident a couple of days ago. How the phck could I get a boner over this guy? He's a phcking spider-vampire-alien-Eldritch-freak!
"Where are we headed, Detective?" Nines asked in his usual silken purr. It was a boner inducing sound, exactly the type of voice Gavin would fall to his knees for. He coughed as his mind began to wander, wondering if Nines even had the parts for that. He shook off the thought as he nodded to the huge mall across the street. The Plaza mall. The most popular shopping spot in their part of town. Gavin had parked up on a side street further back, since street parking was free and generally less busy than the mall lots. Nines paused with a hint of reluctance. It wasn't something anyone else would notice, but Gavin wasn't most people. He was good at reading behaviour. It had been a major in his degree. He'd actually been offered a position with the FBI specialising in behavioural analysis, but he'd decided that detective work sounded more exciting. He couldn't stand desk work.
"Something wrong?" Nines shook his head in response. Gavin frowned at the lie, but he wouldn't force the issue. He had to trust that his partner would let him know if it was something serious. They hadn't worked together long, but Nines had been open with him so far. He noticed Nines' shoulders tense as they crossed over to the mall. The square out front was fairly busy and inside, the mall was even busier. He could see Nines adjusting his black leather gloves, almost as if he were making sure they were still there. He wasn't sure whether it was a programmed quirk or some sort of nervous tick.
Gavin flipped out his notepad, unhooking the small pencil from the spine, ready to make notes. He knew the body had been found inside a locked changing room. That was about all he'd been told. He paused as they stepped through the shiny sliding doors. There was a crowd of people on the ground floor, bustling back and forth between stores. He raised his gaze to the second floor, searching for the right store. It was a suit shop. One of the exclusive tailoring ones. Expensive as fuck. The victim was probably some sort of lower executive. The real executives wouldn't shop somewhere like the Plaza. If they were anything like his brother, then they probably had tailors on call. Gavin took a few steps before pausing with a frown. Nines hadn't followed him. He was still standing in the doorway. His four upper eyes were pinched shut, his brow wincing slightly.
"You good?" Gavin checked with a hint of caution, watching Nines almost force his eyes open again as he nodded stiffly. Bullshit! Was it noise sensitivity? The people? The light? There was a lot of reflection bouncing off the stores. It glinted on the shiny metal rails and glass walkways. Gavin waved for him to come closer. Whatever the case, it would be less busy once they reached the closed-off scene. Nines followed, shoulders stiff and straight as he raised his head. His four upper eyes closed again as he locked his hands behind his back, jaw set tight as he walked. Gavin moved quickly, and Nines offered no complaint as they headed up the escalator. "Hey! Coming through!" Gavin yelled above the pressing crowd outside the shop. "DPD! Stand aside!" The crowd didn't seem set to move at first. Then they laid eyes on Nines. Many onlookers did a double take. Silence fell as they numbly stepped aside while staring at his face. Guess that's one thing I can be grateful for…
The officer at the door let them through, deliberately not looking at Nines as he did so. Inside, Gavin watched Nines get to work. Their victim was slumped on the floor of a stall with a small hole in his forehead. It had bled down his face like red tears and stained his crisp white shirt, but it hadn't bled enough to stain the floor. Apparently, the tailor had knocked and unlocked the door when they realised he was taking so long. Well, that's our lead suspect for now…He was almost entranced as he watched Nines drag his gloved fingers through the blood on the stained shirt and raise it to his reddened lips. He barely touched his fingers to the tip of his tongue. Gavin swallowed as he watched three or four smaller tendrils snake out to lick and suckle the blood. It was so weird. Why had he been designed like that? Was it a weird kink thing? Or did those little things have a real purpose? He licked his dry lips as Nines' eyes closed and opened one set at a time, LED and irises blinking yellow as he analysed.
Nines paused, head turning as he noticed Gavin's intense stare. Gavin let out a small gasp as all six yellow eyes shifted to him, hurriedly looking elsewhere and going over the various items scattered around the small cubicle. A smart blazer and tie were still hung on the hook. The mirror was screwed to the wall, so probably not a false back or anything. The cubicles were floor to ceiling rooms, like tall storage closets. So, how the phck did our shooter get inside, kill the guy, and get out again? It only makes sense if it's one of the other customers or the shop staff…
"I'll need the footage of all the cameras in here, and any that face the store out front," Gavin said as he returned to the officer at the door. The young man pointed out the clerks, who were still inside near the counter. So were the other customers. No one had been allowed to leave once the body had been found. That doesn't mean the perp couldn't have walked before the body was found…Gavin approached with his best tolerable smile, which was more of a tight-lipped grimace. He took down their names and their stories while Nines finished up doing his thing with the body.
As soon as he was done, Gavin could feel the looming figure at his back, standing closer than usual. Maybe that wasn't surprising. It was their first indoor scene, and the first time they'd had anyone to interview. Regular people were nervous around Nines, which Gavin could understand. Even if he looked mostly normal without his jaw unhinged, he still had six ethereal blue-on-black eyes. They all moved independently, blinking pictures and keeping track of the humans' vitals. Gavin finished scribbling notes and went to deal with the crowd outside. A few had details to give, like who they'd last seen exit and what they'd noticed.
Thirty minutes passed before he knew it. He paused as he felt a small nudge on his elbow. Nines was wincing. Four of his eyes were locked shut again, and his two main eyes were thin with stress. Even his LED was blinking between red and yellow. Nines was not good. Gavin flicked his pad shut as he noticed, politely thanking the latest witness. It was the young woman who worked at the juice stand just across from the doors. She was clearly nervous as she shuffled away. It was never good when an android hit red. The crowd had thinned a little, but there was still a lot of people milling about. It was always an issue with public cases like this. As soon as humans got a whiff of disaster, they hovered for photos and juicy details. There were even a few phones pointed Nines' way. He was an exotic android. Of course, they were curious.
Nines was busy trying to block out the noise as he raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose and lowered his head. It was loud. Too loud. There was an endless hum of voices. From everywhere! They echoed in the cavernous glass interior. Close voices. Far voices. Shouting. Laughing. Chewing. Slurping. Children crying and screaming. There was more noise. The squeaking of wheels on prams and shopping trolleys. Scraping chairs on tiled floors. A hissing coffee machine. A screeching blender or juicer. The clacking and beeping of multiple cash registers. The clatter on the food court below. Cutlery. Scraping on plates. Jingling coins. So much noise! There was a sudden ruckus right beside him as he started to hunch his shoulders. It hurts! Someone wanted him to lower his arm. They wanted to see his face. Nines' jaw tightened. He wasn't some freak show! Couldn't they see he was stressed? He could feel his jaws unhinging, itching to bite something. To lash out. To make it stop. A hand grabbed his arm.
"Hey! Get-the-phck-back!" Gavin yelled as he shoved the stupid kid away right as he grabbed Nines' arm. Nines' red eyes sharpened, all six snapping wide. They thinned to slits as he slipped into killing-mode. His jaw unhinged, opening wide. Gavin got his first proper look at Nines' tongue as he threw himself into the middle to protect the young teen. It was sort of lizard-like besides the tendrils, which were flailing in distress as Nines shot forward. The kid was terrified, screeching as he stumbled away and tripped on his ass. His other friends laughed as they watched him stumble to his feet and run away. They followed him, yelling and teasing as they went. Gavin grunted in discomfort as Nines' jaw snapped shut on his shoulder and upper arm. "Nines-no!" Gavin's words seemed to reach him on some level. His jaw had closed, but since he was still in one piece, he was pretty sure Nines hadn't put his full strength into it. Nines shuddered as he leaned his temple against Gavin's cheek. His LED was burning red, jaw quivering with the effort of holding back. He wanted to bite, to release some of the tension he was feeling. He wanted someone to understand. "It's okay…You're good…We're good…"
Gavin slowly raised his hand to thread his fingers in Nines' hair and stroke his cheek. He'd barely made contact when he remembered the gloves. Nines doesn't like physical contact. It wouldn't comfort him the way it would anyone else. It would stress him out more. He pulled his hand back with a jerk, taking a breath as he waited for Nines' jaws to tighten. They didn't. He was surprised as Nines' gloved hand reached up to grip his wrist and gently return the hand to his hair. Gavin swallowed nervously as he went with the silent request. He paused for a few moments, just holding him, before making a few tentative stroking motions.
"You're alright…Once you've calmed down, we can go…" He kept his voice low and soothing, fingers still gently carding through Nines' hair. He quivered as he felt that tongue creeping along his neck. Tasting him. The little tendrils teased his skin and stubble, analysing everything they could reach. They tickled his collarbone and teased his clavicles as they explored. He gasped as the tip of Nines' tongue slipped beneath his top and coiled across his chest. "U-uhm…" He didn't know what to say as one of the small tendrils latched onto one of his nipples. It teased the edges cautiously before settling in place and suckling. Gavin tightened his grip on Nines' hair a little as a small buzz of pleasure tingled through his body. He wasn't sure if Nines was doing it on purpose or whether he was subconsciously seeking some weird sort of comfort. He pulled Nines back a little, trying to dislodge him.
The tendril pinched his nipple in reproach, forcing the smallest sound from his throat. It was a breathy sound. An almost wanton whine. It got Nines' attention. All six of his blue eyes opened in surprise, noting the elevated endorphins in his system. Gavin's heart rate spiked a little as Nines teased the small bud again. It was a curious reaction. Curious, but pleasant. He liked the little sounds Gavin had made. The sound of his racing heart was enticing. The pleasure he could taste in his skin and sweat was alluring. He was almost tempted to bite him and get a blood analysis, but he knew Gavin was holding back. He was showing a lot of tolerance and patience at this level of manhandling. Nines was reluctant as he drew back. Slowly.
His teeth loosened first, easing away from the leather and leaving no damage to the material. Gavin's skin was likely bruised beneath where his sharper teeth had rested, but the synthetic layer was completely intact. The thick leather had protected him somewhat. Nines was slower to remove his tongue from Gavin's shirt. He was enjoying his analysis. The small tendril was quite happy to continue its teasing motions, rubbing and circling with small sucks. He slowly removed it, giving a final pinch before soothing the area. He could feel Gavin trembling as his tongue slowly stroked and teased its way back, leaving a small trail of analysis fluid in its wake. Gavin blinked the haze from his eyes and coughed awkwardly, quietly brushing off the experience.
"You think you can walk?" he asked anxiously as he gripped Nines' upper arms. He'd retracted his tongue and jaw, but he was still leaning down against his shoulder. Nines nodded against his neck, noting the relieved sigh as he did so. It was unlikely Gavin would have been able to carry him. He was quite heavy, even for an android. His exoskeleton was solid armour beneath his clothing and synthetic flesh. "Alright…We're going to walk outside now…We'll walk outside and go across to the small seating area by the fountain…The water should help with the background noise." Gavin's voice was calm and soothing as he explained what they would do. Nines nodded silently as he locked his jaw shut. He didn't release Gavin's wrist. Gavin didn't pull free. He used his arm like a leash, leading Nines to the escalators.
Nines kept his top four eyes shut and looked at the floor as they went. He tried not to notice the pressing crowds of people watching them. Camera flashes made him flinch, and he shrank slightly as Gavin's voice yelled. He was telling people to back the phck off and give them some room. Many of them had seen the incident upstairs and did as they were told. They didn't want to be next. The android was clearly unstable. People parted for them, obeying Gavin's constant orders and warnings as he flashed his badge and continued to lead Nines outside. The effect was almost immediate. Out in the open air, the noise level dropped, and the space opened up. Nines could finally relax as Gavin led him to the fountain and sat him on the stone ledge right by the sprinkling water. He was right. The rushing sound was soothing. It lowered the human voice levels around them.
"You good? What happened back there?" Gavin asked softly as he leaned down beside him. He was making himself appear smaller so as not to intimidate. Not that he needed to worry. Nines didn't answer at first as he calmed himself. His four upper eyes gradually blinked open, surprised to find Gavin's searching eyes so close to his own. A normal human, or one with better self-preservation instincts, would have stayed back. He'd literally held Gavin's life in his mouth not so long ago. It may not have seemed that way to Gavin, but with his biting force and the reinforced material of his teeth, he could have bitten straight through the flesh and bone.
"I am…an incomplete model…a prototype left unfinished…" Gavin had sort of guessed that much. He hadn't known about the unfinished part, but Nines was definitely a unique model with specialised abilities. What those were, he wasn't sure. He wouldn't have been out of place in an exotic sex club, but he had the same skills as Connor, so it was more likely he'd been built for law enforcement or the military. Those eyes and that jaw would go a long way towards intimidation, that was for sure. He probably had a tonne of special abilities, too. Gavin just hadn't worked up the nerve to ask. He didn't want to seem too keen, even though it would be good for him to know this stuff about his partner. If I'd asked, then maybe we could have avoided this shit…His shoulder was tender and aching where Nines' sharp teeth had rested and bruised his skin.
"So, what? They only gave you half a program?" Gavin asked curiously as he rested a hand on his shoulder and soothed the sore skin. Nines' middle eyes locked onto the motion, the top set creasing in remorse. It had never been his intention to blindly lash out. He should have maintained control. Maintained his professionalism. Cyberlife would have been disappointed if they were still around. He was sure Fowler would be disappointed once Gavin reported the incident. His jaw tightened at the thought. He would probably be terminated, or given to someone else at the very least.
"Not exactly…My programming is complete, but largely untested. I was designed with Connor's standard abilities, which were improved upon in my model. However, certain extra features were added alongside them. My physical senses were made far more sensitive, so that I would always be aware of anyone approaching, or anything untoward occurring in my vicinity…Inside the mall, I could hear everything. A single coin dropping on the first floor was as clear to me as your voice while speaking. I can separate out each sound, but it takes time. Until then, everything I hear is recorded. It overlaps. I can't lower the volume or filter out what I don't need. I hear everything. All the time…The bullpen is tolerable, but…" He didn't finish the thought. It wasn't necessary. He could see from Gavin's distraught expression that he understood. Gavin felt guilty. He'd picked up on Nines' discomfort, but said nothing. But Nines is my partner! He should tell me when things are too much!
"Why the phck didn't you say something?" It was a simple question, but Nines was unsure how to answer. It wasn't that he didn't trust Gavin, but they didn't exactly have a close working relationship. They'd barely known each other for two days. How could he trust him with something so delicate? This was also his first time being somewhere so crowded.
"I didn't realise my reaction would be so…visceral. I haven't tested my sensitivity to this extent before…As I said, my model testing phase was left incomplete…So far, I know that everything is set too high. Hearing, touch, sight…My vision is easier to manage with six different outlets, but I only have two ears, and my skin is…Most of the more sensitive sensors are in my hands to assist in analysis. I wear gloves to dampen tactile sensation, unless I need to assess something directly by touch…Due to the sensitivity of my hands, I often prefer to examine with my tongue. I can scent similarly to a snake, so I can assess texture, temperature, and material makeup orally." He was surprised to find that Gavin was so invested in the conversation. His arms were folded as he straightened up, staring intently. He was nodding along, honestly trying to follow the explanation. It was a level of care he hadn't expected him to show, especially considering the way he'd argued with Fowler over their partnership.
"So you'd rather lick things than touch them barehanded?" Nines' lips curled and his eyes became almost sultry. It was a look that made Gavin squirm. Nines quite enjoyed seeing him like this. His almost coy nature was endearing, and his more caring side was so unexpected that it had him re-evaluating his first impression. Perhaps there was a reason he'd been so aggressive upon their first meeting. Perhaps his being an android wasn't truly an issue.
"I would." He kept eye contact with Gavin as he spoke. The two words set off a chain of reactions throughout Gavin's body. Nines watched the rise of his vitals as his skin temperature increased and his heart rate jumped. His pupils dilated as he held his gaze. Nines lowered his highest set of eyes to watch the slight tightening between Gavin's thighs, where the denim formed a slight bulge. The moment stretched as Gavin slowly noticed Nines' hungry stare. He was like a deer, frozen to the spot, and likely would have continued to stare if not for the sudden surge of water from the fountain. It seemed the water patterns were on a timer, and at that moment, a surge shot up into the air so high that it caused a shower to fall upon them.
"Holy phck!" Gavin exclaimed as he stumbled away from the stone ledge of the fountain. Nines joined him, enjoying the way the cool water had dampened Gavin's hair. It had also splashed their clothing enough that it would be uncomfortable to return to work straight away, but they weren't soaked through. Gavin ran a hand through his hair with a small frown, a small tsk escaping. He quickly remembered Nines, hand lowering as he looked across almost worriedly. "Shit, are you good with your skin thing?" All six of Nines' ethereal eyes widened before they softened, along with his lips. Gavin didn't know how the fuck to feel as he took in Nines' smile and the water dripping from his ebony locks.
"I am. Thank you for asking, Detective." It was true to an extent. The cool water trickled down his neck, but as long as his hands remained covered, it was tolerable. Gavin's vitals rose further at his words. He seemed almost bashful as he ran a hand through his hair and dropped his gaze. "However, you should stop at home for a change of clothes before returning to work." It was a considerate offer, and Gavin nodded his agreement. Nines rested his gloved hands behind his back and prepared to walk back to the precinct. It should only take him around forty minutes, and his uniform would likely be dry by the time he arrived.
"Hey, wait! Where are you going?" Gavin asked as he cocked his eyebrow.
"I am returning to the precinct. I will meet you there, Detective," Nines replied with a polite nod, waiting patiently for Gavin to give him some form of acknowledgement. He was surprised as Gavin outright scoffed at the idea. He couldn't believe Nines had even suggested it. They were both wet from the fountain. Do I really seem like that much of an asshole? Gavin almost scoffed at his own thought. Probably…
"Not like that you're phcking not! I have a dryer at my place…Can't say I have any clothes that'll fit you, but I can at least run your things through a quick cycle." The offer was startling. Nines had truly expected Gavin to simply part ways with him. He hadn't factored in this sort of offer. He had also never been to another person's home before. His own residence was simply a small lab at Cyberlife Headquarters, which he hadn't returned to since his forced activation and deviation. Since then, he had simply remained in the precinct or wandered the streets at night.
"That would be appreciated."